Embroidery machine



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J' J U NW \5 mm A'ITORNEYV J. HOHL ET AL EMBROIDERY MACHINE Flled Nov 10 1923 Feb. 16 1926.

Feb 15 1926. 1,573,165

J. HOHL ET AL EMBROIDERY MACHINE Filed Nov. 10, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 16 1926.

J. HOHL. ET-AL EMBRQIDERY MACHINE Filed Nov. 10,

1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I i (7 m/ j ATiNE CAD Patented Feb. 16, 1926.

UNITED S-Y-TATESY PATENT eFFie JACOB I-IOHL, or WEEH'AWKEN, AND ERNEST; er, icnnnnn, on NEW DURHAM, NEW

' JERSEY.

EMBROIDERY MACHINE.

Application filed November 10, 1923i Serial No. 674,050.

embroidery machines of the bchiflii type, in

which the embroidered fabric' is disposed vertically and the needles are reciprocated horizontally.

An object of this invention is to produce a machine of the type specified in which a single movement of a guiding'element for ornamental material, such as threaded beads, cord, braid, chenillev or the like tobe sewed on to the fabric, will'be elfectiveto' enable such ornamental material to beacourately guided to faithfully follow any design throughout any angleor angles thereof, thus avoiding complicated plural or compound. movements and also avolding thenecessity of stopping the machine to change the movementin order to follow the design.

Another object of this invention is to pro ride a machine of the said Schilfli type with means whereby such ornamental material may besewed to the fabric by the thread carried by the needles of the machine with straight stitches formed inthe line ofthe design, as distinguished from. zig-zag stitches across the'line of the design, thus closely simulating hand work.

Another object of this invention is to provide a movement for the guide preferably comprising an oscillating movement: which will enable the ornamental material to be swung, at all timesto similar angles at opposite sides of the line of the design, irrespective of the character of said design or the relative angles formed thereinithus enabling the use n such machine of straight line, as distinguished from zig-zag stitching at all pointsof the design, and furthermore to produce a movement whichwill also enable an effective angle to be'procured by the movement of the guide.

Another object of this invention is to cause the guldlng'element to have a general design-foll-owing arcuate movement about the needle as an axis, by which the line of the design may be accurately" followed, and

furthermore to cause said guiding element to have an oscillating movement about the same axis forthe purpose of oscillating the ornamental material to opposite sides of theline of thedesi gn at such angles as will enable ornamental"material to be sewed to the fabric by straight line of stitching in the line of the design.

Another object of this invention is to provide power-actuated means prefe "ably comprising an electric motor for moving the guidein its arcuate design following path. Another object of this invention is to provide means for indicating the position ofthe guiding element in relation to the needle whereby an operator may readily follow theudesign.

Anotlieriobject of thisinvention is to provide 1: osition-indicating pointer on the pantograph, in combination with and movableinan arcuateyoi circular path about the needle or stitching pointer of said pantograph, so that the operator may at the same time readily make the stitching movement by the pantograph pointer and also by simple manipulation turn the guiding element to followthe design in advance of the needle or stitching pointer, and also preferably to provide power. actuating means such as a switch or switcheson such pantograph for rotating a motor in opposite directions to move the guiding elements along said design-following line.

Another object of this invention is to en able the design-following movement of the guiding element to be accomplished by simple rotary movement of a shaft and-to accomplish the oscillating movement of such guide by an independent. reciprocating movement of the same shaft.

lVith these and other objects in View, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangementof parts so combined as to co-act and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations thespecies or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a machine embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 -2 of Fig 1; V

Fig. 3 is a-section on the line 33-of Fig; 1 looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 4 is a section on the lines- 1 of Fig. 1, illustrating the spiral gears employed by us for transmitting motion to the guide operating shafts; i

Fig. 5 is an enlarged View of the guideoperating wheel preferably employed by us. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the said guideoperating wheel and adjacent supporting means with the parts thereof disassembled from its frame;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the reciprocating movement to opposite sides of the design following position of the guide. Referring now to these drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of our invention, 1 indicates a frame member of a Schiflli embroidery machine, 2the spanner or fabric frame, 3 the design board, 4 a handoperated pantograph for tracing the design on the design board, and 5 (Fig. 2) inclicates the usual needle bar carrying a seriesof needles 6 and reciprocated horizontally by means of the vusual well-known mechanismnot shown, while at the rear of the fabric (see Fig. 2) shuttles 7 areoperated in the well known manner by means of the usualshuttle operating mechanism S supported on the machine frame. -Each of the needles 6.is supplied with a thread 9 which is tensioned and fed in any 'conventional manner. a

In the preferredembodimentofthis invention, each needle has associated therewith 1 a guiding element 10 for the ornamental material 11 to be sewed by such needle to the fabric and said guiding element is, in accordance with our invention, caused to move about the needle as an axis in a simple arouate path, so that such ornamental material may be accurately guided in'advance of the needle to faithfully follow any design throughout any angle orangles thereof. In the preferred embodiment of our invention illustrated, the ornamental material 11 is passed beneath a guide ring 12 on the needle bar and is fed from elevated'spools 13 suit-- ably mounted on rods or shafts 14:. The movement of the guiding element 10 in an arcuate path about the needle is preferably effected by providing for each needle a guiding element or ring 10 ina member rotatable about th'e needle as an axis, and in the preferred embodiment shown, a guide wheel 15 has an aperture 16 surrounding its axis through which the needleis adapted to reciprocate, said guide 10 being disposed in a radial direction from the position of the needle in'said axial aperture 16 so that a turning of the wheel 15 will cause a movement of the radially or eccentrically disposed guide 10 to be moved in an arcuate path about the said needle 6.

shafts 19 are employed to operate two series of guide wheels and each shaft is continuous across the machine and passes through bearing apertures 20 in mounting brackets 20 between the side members 20 of which brackets the worm 18 'is arranged. As shown, each of the mounting brackets is supported on a continuous rod 21 which in turn 'is mounted'upon a supporting bar 22 suitably connected at the opposite ends of the machine. It will be obvious that a rotation of the worm 18 by the shaft 19 will cause the guiding elements 10 to be moved in an arcuate path about the needle Gwhich passes through the aperture 16 of the wheel 15, and that in view of this arcuate movement about the needle as a center the material 11 may be moved tov register accurately and faithfully along the path of any design which the movement of the fabric may cause the needle to follow.

Y In thepreferred embodiment of our invention shown the shafts 19 are preferably rotated by power for the purpose of moving the guiding elements 10 in an arcuate path as distinguished from a hand movement thereof, and as illustrated these shafts are rotated by means of a' motor. 23 which is geared to such shafts 19. The two shafts 19 are, as shown, provided at their ends with spiral gears 25 which mesh with spiral gears 24 on a vertical shaft 26, which at its lower end is provided witha spiral gear 27 which meshes with aspiral gear 28 on the shaft 29 of the motor 23. To give the shafts 19 rotary motion in opposite directions about the needle so as to permit the circular or arcuate guiding movement in opposite directions about the centrally disposed needle, we provide means for turning the shaft 29 of the motor 23 in opposite directions. This may be accomplished in any well known manner and, as illustrated, we provide button switches 3031 suitably connected by means of'a flex ible wire connection 32 extending from bindlation to the needle of the saidguiding ele ment.

As illustrated, the means for moving the pointer. 33 comprises the extension upwardly of the upright transmission shaft 26 and the provision on the upper. endof this shaft of a bevelled pinion .35 which, as shown, meshes with bevelledgear teeth 36 on a sprocket wheel 37 which is'connected by a sprocket chain 38 to a. similar sprocket having bevelledgear teeth 40 meshing with a bevelled pinion 41 on the end of a rod 142, which also has a bevelled pinion 43 at itsopposits end and transmits mot1on to a bevelled gear wheel 4% on the pantograph,

frame, which meshes with a pinion 45 on the end of av vertical rod 4-6 having at its. opposite end a bevelled pinion 47, which meshes with a bevelled wheel 48 having its axis registering with the needle indicator or pointer 3 1 of the pantograph. As illustrated, (see Figs. 1 and 8) said bevelled wheel 48 is provided with an inward extension 34? having the pointed end 34 at the axis of the said wheel 1-8 and the guide. indicating pointer 33 projects radially therefrom, it being understood of course that the guide indicating pointer is arranged initially to project radially from the needle indicating pointer in adirection similar to thedirection in which the guiding element 10 is po-. sitioned in relation to the needle, and that any turning movement of the transmission shaft for the guiding element will turn the pointer andthe guide. through equalwdegrees of an arc.

The mechanism hereinabove described may, is desired, be utilized, withoutfurther additions, to sew ornamental material on the fabric but in such case it will be necessary to use the usual zig-zag stitching, which stitching in either hand stitching or automatic stitching may be made to traverse.

obliquely the line of travel'of the guide which, as aforesaid, will be moved to faithfully register with the line of the design.

In order to sew the goods to the fabric with astraight stitching which follows the line of the design and which is much more desirable because it saves labor, thread and simulates hand stitching more effectively, we provide means for oscillating the guides about the needle to opposite sides of theposition ofsuch guides when the same registerv with or overlie the line of the design. e

preferably provide a movementindependent of the rotary movement abovedescribed for,

accomplishing this purpose, and as illustrated we, provide means for reciprocating the transverse shafts 19 on which the worms 18 are fixedly mounted, it being understood that such reciprocation of the shafts and worms. will, because of the meshing of the worm. with the worm ,wheels15, oscillate the said worm wheels 15 about theyneedle, thus oscillating the guiding elements 10 across and to oppositesides of the position which such guides would. otherwise normally. occupyandwhich design-following or registering position is indicated by thepointer In the preferred form illustrated, we provide each of the shafts 19 with thrust bear: ings50 and link theshafts together by means of a link rod 51, each of the thrust bearings- 50 being retainedin place on the shaft by collars 50. having anti-friction device, as shown, interposed betweensuch collars and the thrust bearings. Said shafts may thus be reciprocated synchronously. with the movement oftheneedles so. as toswing the ornamentalmaterial to opposite sides thereof as each stitch is made. As shown, we have forthis purpose connected to the link 51 a connecting we 52 which is pivoted eccentrically on the intermittentgear wheel 53, which rides upon an intermittent gear wheel 5twhich is driven by a sprocket wheel on a shaft 55, connected by a sprocket chain 56 to another sprocket wheel 57 on a rotating shaft of the machine.

In, order to permit the shafts 19 to be reciprocated and at the same time to be turned, we have connected the ends of these shaftsbya pin and slot connection 58 with a rotatable sleeve shaft 59, on which lastmentionedishaft the rotating spiral 25iis mounted. for the purpose of turning, Itv will be. obvious from this arrangement that the sleeve shaftmay be rotated to transmit rotation to the transmission shafts 19 and at the same time the shafts 19. may. be recipro- :ated longitudinally within the sleeve shafts owing to the slot and pin connection therewith,

The aforesaid independent reciprocating motion .which, .as above stated, is translated into an oscillating motion of the guiding elements 10 causes the said guiding elements to be oscillated to opposite sides .of, the needle and causes the materialto be moved in a substantially zig zag pat-h across a line of straight stitches which follow the design. Because movement of the guiding elements 10 is oscillating and arcuatelthe material may be swung. to proper angles with such stitches at opposite sides of the line of the design by a relative short movement and the same: angle is formed with thestitching at all points of the design.

The guidewheel 15, as above specified, is

supported in a bracket 20 and in the preferred embodiment shown the side walls 2O 20 of the bracket form stops which contact with the bosses 18 of the worm 18 to limit the longitudinal reciprocating movement of such worms and their shaft 19. Said bracket 20, furthermore, is provided at its upper end with a ring frame 20 (see Fig. 6) within which the guide wheel 15 is mounted and on the inner circumference of which the outer periphery of said guide wheel is adapted to hear. The wheel in the embodiment shown is made intwo split parts and is locked within the frame by a locking ring 20 connected to the wheel body 15 and locked within the frame 2 0 by means of the screws 20".

Having described our invention, we clann:

1. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including horizontallyreciproeated needles, guiding elements for ornamental material to be sewed by the needles to the fabric, power-actuated means for moving the said guiding elements in arcuate paths about the needles in the plane of the fabric to enable the registration of such guiding elements with the design, and means for manually controlling the extent and direction of said power-actuated movement.

2. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including horizontallyreciprocated needles and a hand-operated p autograph, guiding elements for ornamental material to be sewed by the needles to the fabric, power-actuated means for moving the said guiding elements in arcuate paths about the needles in the plane of the fabric to enable the registration of such guiding elements with the design, means on the handoperated pantograph for indicating the radial position of such guides in relation to the needles, and means on the hand-operated pantograph for operating the said power means, to control the extent and direction of said power-actuated movement.

3. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including horizontallyreciprocated needles and a hand-operated pantograph, guiding elements for ornamental materialto be sewed by the needles to the fabric, an electric motor for moving the said guiding elements in arcuate'paths about the needles in the plane of the fabric to enable the registration of such guiding elements with the design, means on the handopcrated pantograph for indicating the radial position of such guides in relation to the needles, and a switch on the pantograph for controlling the saidelectric motor.

at. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including horizontally reciprocated needles, guidingelements for ornamental material to be sewed by the needles to the fabric, power-actuated means for moving the said guiding elements in arcuate paths about the needles in the plane of the fabric to enable the registration of such guiding elements with the design, means for manually controlling the extent and direction of said power-actuated movement, and means for causing an oscillating movement of the said guiding elements about the needles at the varying points of registration with the design in said first-mentioned arcuate line of movement.

5.111 an embroidery machine havingv stitching mechanism including horizontally reciprocated needles and a hand-operated pantograph, guiding elements for ornamental material to be sowed by the needles to the fabric, an electric motor for moving the said guiding elements in arcuate paths about the needles in the plane of the fabric to enable the registration of such guiding elements with the design, means on the handoperated pantograph for indicating the radial position of such guides in relation to the needles and a pair of switches on the pantograph for causing the shaft of said motor to be rotated in opposite directions.

6. In an en'ibroidery machine having stitching mechanism including horizontally reciprocated needles, guiding elements for ornamental material to be sewed by the neodles to the fabric, power-actuated insane for moving the said guiding elements in arcualc paths about the needles in the plane of the fabric to enable the registration of such guiding elements with the design, means for mannally-controlling the extent and direc tion of said power-actuated movement, and independent means for oscillating said guiding elements about the needles at the varymg points of registration with the design in said first-mentioned arcuate line of' movement. I

7. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including horizontallyreciprocated needles, bearing-rings surrounding said needles, guide-wli'eels mounted in vertical position with one of its sides disposed closely adjacent to the fabric and having their axes registering with the said horizontally reciprocating needles and having peripheral bearing on said bearing rings, means for supporting said bearing rings, guiding elements on said rings positioned radially from said axes, worm gears for rotating said guide-wheels to move the guiding elements in arcuate paths about the needles in the plane of the fabric to enable registration of such guiding elements with the design and means for operating said worm gears.

8. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including horizontallyreciprocated needles, a series of bearing rings surrounding said needles, guide wheels having their axesregistering with the said horizontallyreciprocating needles and having a peripheral bearing on said bearing rings, means for supporting said bearing rings, guiding elements on said rings positioned radially from said axes, a continuous horizontal shaft; a series of worms mounted on said shaft; said guide wheels having worm teeth meshing with said worms and means for rotating said continuous shaft to rotate the guide wheels and to move the guiding elements in arcuate paths about the needles in the plane of the fabric to enable registration of such guiding elements with the design.

9. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including horizontallyreciprocated needles, a series of bearing rings surrounding said needles, guide wheels having their axes registering with the said horizontally reciprocating needles and having a peripheral bearing onsaid bearing rings, means for supporting said bearing rings, guiding elements on said rings positioned radially from said axes, a continuous horizontal shaft; a series of worms mounted on said shaft; said guide wheels having worm teeth meshing with said worms, poweractuated means for rotating said continuous shaft to rotate the guide wheels and to move the guiding elements in arcuate paths about the needles in the plane of the fabric to enable registration of such guiding elements with the design, means for manually controlling the extent and direction of said power-actuated movement, and means for reciprocating said shaft to oscillate said guide at varying points in its rotary design-registering movement.

10. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including two lines of horizontally-reciprocated needles, two lines of bearing rings surrounding said needles; two series of guide wheels having their axes registering with the said horizontally-reciprocating needles and having a peripheral bearing on said bearing rings, means for supporting said bearing rings. guiding elements on each of said wheels positioned radially from said axes, a pair of continuous horizontal parallel shafts; a series of worms on each shaft; worm teeth on said guide wheels meshing with said worms, power-actuated means for synchronously rotating both shafts to move the guiding elements on each series of guide vheels in arcuate paths about the needles in the plane of the fabric to enable registration of such guiding elements with the design, and means for manually controlling the extent and direction of said power-actuated movement.

11. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including two lines of horizontally-reciprocated needles, two lines ,of bearing rings SlllSfOllIlCllIlf said needles;

'bearinglon said bearing rings, means for supporting said bearing rings, guiding elenients on each of said wheels positioned radiallyfrom said axes, a pair of continuous horizontal parallel shafts; a series of worms on each shaft; worm teeth on said guide wheels meshing with said worms, poweractuated means for synchronously rotating both shafts to move the guiding elements on each series of guide wheels in arcuatepaths about the needles in the plane of the fabric to enable registration of such guiding elements with the design, means for manually controlling the extent and direction of said power-actuated movement, and means for lGClPlOCatlllg' sa-id shafts to oscillate said guide varying'points in its rotary designregistering movement.

12. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including horizontallyreciprocated needles, guiding wheels having their axes registering with the horizontally reciprocating needles and having integrally formed worm teeth, a continuous shaft having worms meshing with the worm teeth, of said wheels, guiding elements for ornamental material positioned radially from the axes of such wheels, and means for rotating said shaft.

13. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism includinghorizontally reciprocated needles, guiding wheels having worm teeth and having their axes registering with the horizontally reciprocating needles, guiding elements for ornamental material positioned radially from the axes of such wheels, a rotatable horizontally-disposed operating shaft for rotating said wheels, means for rotating said shaft; and means for reciprocating said horizontally-disposed shaft to oscillate the guide wheel independently of its first mentioned rotary movement.

14. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including horizontally reciprocated needles, guiding wheels having their axes registering with the horizontally reciprocating needles and having integrally formed worm teeth, guiding elements for ornamental material positioned radially from the axes of such wheels, a horizontallydisposed shaft having worms meshing with the worm teeth of said wheel, power-actuated means for rotating said shaft, means for manually controlling the extent and direction of said powenactuated movement, and means for reciprocating said shafts to oscillate the guide wheel independently of its first-mentioned rotary movement.

15. In an embroidery machine having stitching mechanism including horizontallyreciprocated needles, guiding Wheels having their axes registering With the horizontally reciprocating needles and having integrally formed Worm teeth, guiding elements for ornamental material positioned radially from the axes of such Wheels, two parallel horizontal shafts having worms meshing with the Worm teeth ofsaid Wheels, poweractuated means for rotating-said shafts to rotate said guide heels and enable registration of the guiding elements with the design, means for manually controlling the extent and direction of said power-actuated movement, and means for synchronously reciprocating both shafts to oscillate the guiding elements at the varying design-registering positions reached by said rotary movement.

In Witness whereof, we have signed our names to the foregoing specification.

JACOB HOHLL ERNEST G. KELLER. 

